• Take the time to really understand your client’s perspective on their issues, including what they have tried, what has worked, what has not worked and what they think should be done now. It is better to go slower with your client than faster without them.
• Come to every engagement with a basic implementation framework in mind. Early in an engagement, the major purpose of the framework can be as a common frame of reference when talking about the project goals, methods, evaluation and learning. Be willing to modify that framework as you and your client work together.
• Your value is in collaboration and communication. Your client will value you if both of you continue to work together in a process that is collaborative, well understood, communicated to all and focused on results.
• Success comes from who you are as much as (or more than) from your expertise. This is true, especially if your client perceives you to be authentic and respectful, and consulting with focus on results and learning. Similarly, one of the most powerful influences that can have with your clients is to model the behaviors that you want from them.
• Do what you say you are going to do. In every engagement you will help improvement almost immediately by remaining grounded and centered, clear and consistent. Your consistency builds trust and commitment with clients and their employees as well.
• Always explain the reasons for your recommendations and the benefits that will come to your client as a result.
• Clients often struggle with certain issues. They may not want to change and might resist your attempts to help them. In those instances, remember that those responses are their choices but your role as facilitator and mentor for them will help them move past their hesitancy. And remember… people learn only what they are ready to learn.
• Experienced consultants remember there are many perspectives on an issue in the organization. Those perspectives should be encouraged and explored because they often lead to more successful problem solving.
• You are an “instrument” of change with your client, so you should be willing to suspend your overall biases, assumptions and beliefs when working with people.
Prepared by the Organization for Entrepreneurial Developments Editorial Staff July, 2010
Copyright OED 2010
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